(February 9, 2010) At the “Late night with LRIG” rapid fire session during the recent Lab Automation conference in Palm Springs, Microsonic Systems announced that its HENDRIX SM100 now serves four key applications: Compound solubilization, Sample thawing, Microplate mixing, and Magnetic particles/cells suspension.
Originally launched as a microplate mixer, the HENDRIX SM100 has been enhanced to cover a wider range of applications and to satisfy market demands for higher throughput in sample preparation and fluid processing. Combining the Company’s proprietary lateral ultrasonic thrust™ (LUT) technology and the unique design of the FASA array, the HENDRIX SM100 enables rapid compound solubilization which reduces the hours-long process to minutes. The HENDRIX SM100 can also thaw frozen samples in a matter of minutes; this new use of ultrasonic technology will facilitate the possibility of on-demand sample retrieval. The HENDRIX SM100 can also suspend magnetic particles as well as live cells, which further expands its applications in Life Science to activities such as DNA extraction or isolation.
Microsonic Systems presented a poster at the Lab Automation conference entitled “Mixing Effectiveness – A Methodology and Study of Microplate Mixing Techniques Including Ultrasonic HENDRIX SM100” concluded that the ultrasonic fluid processor is able to mix DMSO samples into water 7 times faster than samples mixed by orbital shaker and 12 times faster than samples mixed by diffusion. The HENDRIX SM100 can cause rapid and effective mixing in just a few minutes, particularly for smaller assay volumes where traditional mixing is hampered by surface tension effects.
Since the 2009 Lab Automation conference, Microsonic Systems has made several product improvements to support a wide range of common labware – 96, 384 and 1536-well plates; flat bottom, U-bottom, V-bottom labware; and 2D-barcoded tubes. Software improvements now allow users to control the system in three distinct ways: through the system’s front touch panel; with a graphical user interface; or by using an API that supports integrated environments. Microsonic Systems intends to extend its applications to other areas in need of high-throughput, parallel ultrasonic fluid processing.
About Microsonic Systems
Microsonic Systems Inc. develops acoustics-based micro-fluidics instruments based on a novel, patented technology that will significantly improve the accuracy and efficiency of research. The lateral ultrasonic thrust™ (LUT) technology, using a micro-electro-mechanical systems (MEMS) based transducer, creates bulk acoustic waves which prepare samples and processes fluids rapidly and homogenously. Founded in 2004, Microsonics shipped its first production unit and moved into its San Jose headquarter in 2009. For more information, visit www.microsonics.com.
